Juniper Moon Farm Jumper Knitting Pattern

Gianna Sleeveless Top by Melissa Leapman

What is Being Made

Gianna is a sleeveless knitted top from the Pasadena Collection, designed by Melissa Leapman. This garment is available in six sizes ranging from Small to 3X-Large, with finished bust measurements from 35 inches (89cm) up to 62 inches (157.5cm) and lengths between 22½ and 24½ inches (57–62cm). The top features a sophisticated lace pattern combined with stranded colorwork, making it suitable for warm-weather wear.

Techniques Used

Gianna employs multiple advanced knitting techniques to create visual interest and structure:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The garment is worked from the lower edge upward in separate pieces before seaming, allowing for easier fit adjustments and pattern placement control.
• Worked Flat: The main body pieces are knitted flat on straight needles, creating traditional seamed side and shoulder seams.
• Worked in the Round: After the main pieces are seamed, the neckline and armhole bands are worked circularly using a 16-inch circular needle, creating seamless finishing bands.
• Lace Patterning: The lower border features a lace pattern based on a multiple of 17 stitches plus 2, incorporating yarn overs and decreases to create openwork details.
• Stranded Colorwork: The design incorporates three distinct colors from the Summer Solstice yarn line, worked using stranded techniques where multiple colors are carried across rows to create patterned sections.
• Fully Fashioned Decreases: Armhole shaping uses fully fashioned decreases worked 2 stitches in from the edges on both right-side and wrong-side rows, creating a refined, tailored appearance.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs fundamental and intermediate stitch techniques:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary fabric structure, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, providing a smooth, classic finish.
• Garter Stitch: Used for the neckline and armhole finishing bands, creating a textured, reversible trim that lies flat and provides structure.
• Knit 2 Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for shaping and lace pattern creation.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used for balanced shaping and lace work, created by slipping two stitches knitwise, transferring them back to the left needle in new orientation, then knitting through their back loops.
• Purl 2 Together (p2tog): A decrease worked on wrong-side rows for shaping.
• Slip, Slip, Purl (ssp): The wrong-side equivalent of ssk, providing balanced decreases on purl rows.
• Yarn Over (yo): Creates the openwork eyelets characteristic of lace patterns throughout the design.

Materials

Gianna is designed to be knitted with Juniper Moon Farm Summer Solstice yarn, a premium fiber available in three colorways for this design:

• Color 05 Baby's Breath (A): 1 × 100g ball required for all sizes, used as an accent color.
• Color 06 High Tide (B): 2–4 × 100g balls depending on size, serving as the primary color for the majority of the garment.
• Color 03 Will-o-Wisp (C): 1 × 100g ball for all sizes, used as a secondary accent color.

The pattern requires two sizes of US 4/3.5mm knitting needles for the lace border and main body sections, and US 5/3.75mm knitting needles for the primary fabric, allowing for gauge control between pattern and stockinette sections. A US 4/3.5mm circular needle measuring 16 inches (40cm) is needed for the in-the-round finishing bands. A stitch marker is essential for tracking pattern repeats and round beginnings.

Gauge and Finishing